Ivan Haigh (University of Southampton): 'The impact of sea level rise on storm surge barriers'

Abstract: Coastal flooding is already one of the most dangerous and costly natural hazards that humanity faces globally and yet it will become even more frequent and challenging to manage because of climate change and other factors. In densely populated estuarine settings, a storm surge barrier is often an attractive and economical solution for flood protection. There are currently more than 50 storm surge barriers in operation today around the world protecting tens of million people and trillions of pounds of property and infrastructure. However, with accelerating rates of sea-level rise being observed and changes in storminess, surge barriers are starting to have to close increasingly frequently, and changes have begun to be seen in the months when closures are typically occurring. Increased used of barriers in the future has critical implications for barrier management, maintenance, and operation. In this presentation I will discuss work I have done to assess changes in the frequency of storm surge barriers and implications.